is this a scam??

Topic - I need an honest Au pair for my son

FROM: Martins McBrough

Dear Au pair,

We are looking for a live-in Male or Female who can help us with a
variety of tasks at home as well as outside. I am in process of
setting up a new business, and need someone to help me in the house to
cater for my baby at least for 30hrs per week. There would be good
opportunities for higher earnings in case of success.


We stay in center of a lively town (Charles Dickens’s lived/died in
this town) in Kent (garden of England), with walking distance to
university of Greenwich, colleges, high street, shopping facilities,
central bus station, train station, riverside/quayside/docks, Charles
dickens’s house (now a museum) and the historical town/castle of
Rochester. Only 40 minutes to central London and less than 2 hours
travel to Benelux (Brussels/Amsterdam) and France (Paris).


I would like intending Au pairs to indicate their interests by sending
in the following.

1) Updated CV

2) Mobile Numbers

3) A yahoo ID for a video chat

4) References.


Please let us know, if you will be very interested to work in our family.


Hope to hear from you soon,

Andrew.







Topic - Hope to hear from you soon with answers to my questions

FROM: Martins McBrough

Dear Au pair.

Good to hear from you

How are you doing today over there in your country.

I,m glad to hear from you in regards of taking care of my son Terry when i,m not around, I have no problems in regards of your speaking English, you will be enrolled in an English school here in UK

I will like you to get back to me with the following answers

What do you like most about being a Au pair.

What are the ages of the children you’ve cared for.

Do you have any health problems I should know about.

We plan on having a written Au pair contract. Would you be willing to sign one.

Are you willing to supervise play time with other children in our home and/or take our child to gymnastics/activity groups

which may or may not require your active participation. Are you willing to supervise friends of our child who are invited to our home while you are in charge.

What are your salary expectations.

What domestic skills are you willing and able to do other than childcare (cooking, cleaning, etc).

Do you have a passport and visa needed for your arrival down here in UK.

Send me your resent picture and information's about you.

Hope to hear from you soon.








topic-Impressive CV

From : Martins McBrough

Dear Au pair.

Thanks for your letter, and how are you doing today? Thank you for your mail which shows your seriousness in my job offer.

I have gone through your resume and answers and I have to say I am impressed by it.

I would like to inform you that I will apply for and hope to receive detailed information and travel instructions from the Home Office on steps you are to take to enable you travel down here without hassles.

I will also apply for a copy of the approved contract letter which includes details of the accommodation that I shall provide you, working hours, feeding and other contract terms. I shall sign it and send alongside to you for your review. You are to go through the contract and sign if the terms are acceptable by
you and also follow the detailed travel instructions so that you do not make any mistakes.

I hope to send you all this important information once i get them for your review. My son says Hello and we hope our e mail finds you in good health.


Feel free to communicate us with any questions and I will be glad to answer.

Cheers and write us soon.

Best Regards

The English is a bit off, the description of Rochester sounds like it is taken directly from an Estate Agent's web site. Now, whilst it doesn't really differ from a real job offer, it does suggest that it is a scam.
This mention of the Home Office will, I suspect, lead to the need for appropriate documentation to allow you to work in the UK.
If you are currently located in an EU member state, you are fully entitled to work in the UK without any need for a work permit/visa.

An application for a visa is something you have to do, see this link :
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... /applying/

£194 is the cost, and note that you have to supply finger prints and facial image, so no one can do it for you.

Let us know where you are from, and what the prospective employer says about the Visa. I reckon that this is where it'll all go pear-shaped and evolve into the scam I already personally think it is.

less than 2 hours
travel to Benelux (Brussels/Amsterdam)

Benelux is Belgium and Luxembourg, Amsterdam is in the Netherlands and way more than 2 hours by train.

Charles Dickens actually lived and died in Higham, a village a few miles from Rochester and the Dicken's Centre closed a few years ago and is now a tourist office. No central bus station, although there is one in Chatham about 5 minutes away.

So, a lot of factual mistakes that I wouldn't expect of someone that lived in those parts.

It is a definite scam.

As IG has already said, In a real job offer, you would apply for a visa yourself if you needed one. You would have to visit the British embassy in your country. The Home Office does not help hosts with employment contracts, and your employer does not make the arrangements for your visa.

The scammer plans to give you a fake email address and/or website for the "home office" and if you write to that address, you will be told you have to send money for various fees. In reality, the address has no connection to the home office, and any money you send will go directly to the scammers.